Red Squirrel has an unlikely ally

Foxbat

Foxbat

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Ever since the introduction of the Grey Squirrel to the UK, Red Squirrel numbers have suffered. Not only are the larger greys encroaching on traditional red territory but they also carry the squirrelpox virus. The greys are more or less immune to this disease but it has devastated the red population. It is thought that there are only around 600 000 left in Scotland.

Help may be at hand. A study published in 2018 has shown that the reds may have an unlikely ally in the Pine Marten. The numbers of this woodland predator have been on the increase and it appears they have gained a taste for greys. Studies in Ireland have indicated that they have a detrimental effect on the grey population. It appears that evolving alongside the Pine Marten, the red squirrel has gained an instinct to stay out of the areas inhabited by these predators. It seems that the greys have no such internal alarm system regarding Pine Martens.

It’s good news for the smaller red and let’s hope that this wonderful little creature becomes a more common sight, not just in Scotland, but across the UK.

www.britishredsquirrel.org

Pine Marten - British Red Squirrel

The European pine marten, Martes martes, is a member of the family Mustelidae within the order Carnivora. It is widespread throughout much of north and western Europe but rare or absent in much of its historic southern European range. The pine marten is omnivorous and feeds upon a wide variety...
www.britishredsquirrel.org
 
Foxbat said:
It appears that evolving alongside the Pine Marten, the red squirrel has gained an instinct to stay out of the areas inhabited by these predators. It seems that the greys have no such internal alarm system regarding Pine Martens.
Click to expand...
Another possible mechanism I've heard before, which I don't think was in that article, is that because of their relative lightness, red squirrels can escape to thinner twigs that pine martens can't safely get onto. The larger greys find this more difficult.
 
Ooh dear Tufty, an electric car.
Bet you didn't hear that one coming. :rolleyes:

Maybe electric cars should have ...
1662892760926.png

:giggle:
 
"Ooh, look, Mummy," said Tufty. "There's a new squirrel in town, called Hank. He's bigger than me, but do you think he'll be my friend?"

"You stay away from him, Tufty," said Mrs Squirrel. "He's not like us. He speaks strangely, all that 'yee-haw!' And he can give you squirrelpox virus if you get too close."

"Is that as bad as 'reefer madness'?" asked Tufty.

Just then Hank came driving along in his Dodge Challenger. Look out, Tufty! Those 1970s muscle cars are notoriously under-braked.

"I'll deal with this," said PC Marten. He threw a stinger device across the road, and when Hank's car had slewed to a halt on its burst tyres/tires, PC Marten reached through the driver's window and bit Hank's head off.

"Holy sh1t!" cried Tufty, and started shivering with the terror of what he had witnessed.

"Just be glad they've stopped showing kids Apaches," said Mrs Squirrel.
 
HareBrain said:
"Ooh, look, Mummy," said Tufty. "There's a new squirrel in town, called Hank. He's bigger than me, but do you think he'll be my friend?"

"You stay away from him, Tufty," said Mrs Squirrel. "He's not like us. He speaks strangely, all that 'yee-haw!' And he can give you squirrelpox virus if you get too close."

"Is that as bad as 'reefer madness'?" asked Tufty.

Just then Hank came driving along in his Dodge Challenger. Look out, Tufty! Those 1970s muscle cars are notoriously under-braked.

"I'll deal with this," said PC Marten. He threw a stinger device across the road, and when Hank's car had slewed to a halt on its burst tyres/tires, PC Marten reached through the driver's window and bit Hank's head off.

"Holy sh1t!" cried Tufty, and started shivering with the terror of what he had witnessed.

"Just be glad they've stopped showing kids Apaches," said Mrs Squirrel.
Click to expand...

There will very shortly be a major uprising of Grey Squirrels in the Uk. They demand jobs and the right to vote .:D
 
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Seems a bit of a shame to turn this back to the topic but for what it's worth I reckon this is the result of better habitat management. On an anecdotal level I've spotted a good few Pine Marten this last few years, which would've been rare two decades ago (living in NW Ireland). The same with red squirrels. Without steering to politics the EU directives seem to be having a positive impact. I reckon there is probably a natural species balance that developed over thousands of years -like @HareBrain points out the red is small enough to evade capture, and the grey become an easier meal for the returned predators. In general there seems to be more top predators about -birds of prey etc. Am no expert but I spend a good bit of time outdoors and the red squirrel seems to have made a strong comeback in tandem with it's solitary murderous buddy.
For what it's worth the second SF story I wrote featured a Pine Marten (I'd seen a few in after decades of not seeing any so they must've found a way into my head;)
 
Foxbat said:
Ever since the introduction of the Grey Squirrel to the UK, Red Squirrel numbers have suffered. Not only are the larger greys encroaching on traditional red territory but they also carry the squirrelpox virus. The greys are more or less immune to this disease but it has devastated the red population. It is thought that there are only around 600 000 left in Scotland.

Help may be at hand. A study published in 2018 has shown that the reds may have an unlikely ally in the Pine Marten. The numbers of this woodland predator have been on the increase and it appears they have gained a taste for greys. Studies in Ireland have indicated that they have a detrimental effect on the grey population. It appears that evolving alongside the Pine Marten, the red squirrel has gained an instinct to stay out of the areas inhabited by these predators. It seems that the greys have no such internal alarm system regarding Pine Martens.

It’s good news for the smaller red and let’s hope that this wonderful little creature becomes a more common sight, not just in Scotland, but across the UK.

www.britishredsquirrel.org

Pine Marten - British Red Squirrel

The European pine marten, Martes martes, is a member of the family Mustelidae within the order Carnivora. It is widespread throughout much of north and western Europe but rare or absent in much of its historic southern European range. The pine marten is omnivorous and feeds upon a wide variety...
www.britishredsquirrel.org
Click to expand...

Or we could just eat the buggers:
www.theguardian.com

The ultimate ethical meal: a grey squirrel

It tastes sweet, like a cross between lamb and duck. And it's selling as fast as butchers can get it
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
 
I’m quite surprised at the taste description. For some reason, I thought it would be pretty tasteless, tough and stringy. I don’t know why I thought that but there you go - that’s preconceptions for you.
 
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